House Finch

I spotted this little guy foraging for seeds in the grass by my back door.  I was busy watching the various goose families but couldn't miss this flash of red as he joined in the seed hunt.   There are at least three different goose groups that visit the area behind my apartment.  The biggest is 8 adults and 21 gangly teenagers followed by a smaller group with 4 adults and about 16 younger chicks, then 2 adults with 3 very young goslings.  The youngest are so cute!  They dig around in the grass and find something to pull up but lose their balance and fall on their little fluffy butts.  

I spent the day doing volunteer work at WeSnip which, I only recently discovered stands for Whatcom (our county name) Education Spay & Neuter Impact Program.  These dedicated people work tirelessly to control the area's feral cat population and to also provide services to pet owners who need a little help.  Their TNR (trap/neuter/return) program has reduced our area's feral cat population by 15,000 since the program's inception.  The animals are trapped, transported to the vet for surgery and any other treatment necessary, kept in a recovery center then returned to their home, or found a home  Since I'm a little old to be chasing feral cats through the underbrush I donate my time helping organize their bi-annual garage sale which takes a small army of volunteers to coordinate because it's so large.  It really feels good to be able to help these good and dedicated people.   Today we had a fundraiser called "Meows & Mimosas", a brunch with a presentation of the group's work to a full house.  It was really nice to see the community support for this good cause.